I's bo'n 81 yeahs ago on de plantation ob Marster James Buckner , in Anderson County, Tennessee. 'Twas a big place wid over 100 slaves, countin' de younguns an' de old slaves together. My mammy have 15 chilluns dat am bo'n on de Marster's place. Deys am not all by de same father. 'Twas sev'ral diffe'nt mens dat am de father ob de chilluns. Sometimes fo'ks ask me, 'How come 'twas so many diffe'nt mens dat am wid my mammy as de father ob her chilluns'? Well, in slavery times, 'twarnt mai'iage fo' de cullud fo'ks lak 'tis now. De Marsters have de say so 'bout who de womens have fo' de man. Sometimes, de man am sold, or traded, so 'tis dat de womens have fust one, an' den tudder man. My father's name am Robinson , 'cause he am bo'n an' lived on a tudder place dat am next to de Marster's place. My father's ownah's name was Robinson , too. Yous see, dem days, de slaves tooks de name ob de Marster dat owned him w'en he am bo'ned. I's lived 'bout 10 yeahs in slavery, but I's have de good Marster. Him am so kind dat de tudder white fo'ks used to says, 'De Buckner niggers am free niggers'. Dere was no whuppin's given by de Marster. Co'se, him jaw de cullud fo'ks sometimes. Fo' to punish de ornery nigger, de Marster have de jailhouse. De jail am used fo' dem dat git outter de line, an' stahts de foolishment. 'Twarnt often dat it am neccessary fo' to use de jail, 'cause all de cullud fo'ks knows de Marster am de bestest Marster dere am, so deys all wants to mind him. De Marster am never unreasonable 'bout de wo'k. Him feeds good, 'lows de pahties, an' have de chu'chhouse on de place fo' weuns cullud persons, an' gives dem de pass dat wants to goes to de propah place. Yas Sar, him does ever'thing fo' de comfort ob de cullud fo'ks dat him can.

Fust, 'lows me to tells 'bout de eats. Yous see, I's lak to talk 'bout sich, 'cause I's don't have de good rations now lak weuns have dem days. Well, weuns have ever'thing. Meat, co'n meal, fruit, veg'tables, an' some white flouah. Now, de meat am home cured an' smoked, an' dat am meat. It am fah bettah dan sich weuns gits now. De hams an' bacons am cured, an' den smoked wid hick'ry wood. Man! Man! 'Twas sho tendah an' tasty. Weuns have all de fruit weuns wants. 'Twas apples, peaches, pears, an' lots ob diffe'nt berries. An' den too, de fruit am preserved in de summah, so weuns have plenty ob sich in de wintah time. 'Twas lots ob honey in Tennessee, so weuns have lots ob dat, too. Tennessee sho am a great country. Did yous ever heah hows de people larnt 'bout Tennessee, an' come to live dere? Well, I's will tells de story lak my mammy used to told me. Twas yeahs, an' yeahs ago, w'en dere warnt any people livin' in Tennessee. Deys all lived in Virginia. Well, dere am a team ob oxen dat strayed 'way f'om a plantation in Virginia. De ownah says to de cullud herdsman, 'Go find de oxen, an' don't come home widout de cattle'. Dat cullud fellow stahts to hunt, an' he hunts, an' hunts, an' hunts, an' hunts. He am away, many, many, many days. He jus' keeps agwine, 'cause de Marster says, 'Don't come home widout de cattle'. Well, de cullud fellow traveled fah off, an' am 'bout to give up w'en him find de oxen. De cullud man don't hahdly know dem, 'cause deys am so fat. W'en de oxen strayed off, deys am poor 'cause deys have been wo'ked hahd, but dere deys was, astandin' in de blue grass, high as de cow's back. De cullud fellow drives de oxen back to de Marster's place, an' de Marster asked him 'Whar yous been so long?De cullud fellow says, 'I's been away to de West, an' finds de oxen, fat in blue grass, high as de cow's back'.'. Hows yous live all dem days?', de Marster asked. On de fruit, berries, an' honey. Dere am mo' dan ten thousand fo'ks can eat out dere', de cullud fellow says. Tis too good to be true, but yous have lived good, an' de oxen am fat', de Marster says. Well, 'twarnt long 'til de oxen strayed 'gain. Yous see, deys am not satisfied wid de green grass, tall as de toad's back dat am in Virginia. De Marster asked de cullud fellow,  Whar yous s'pose deys am dis time?' De cullud fellow laughed an' says, 'In de blue grass, tall as de cow's back'. Well, de Marster 'cides to goes wid de slave. W'en deys gits to Tennessee, dere am de oxen in de blue grass, tall as de cow's back. Dere am de fruit, de berries, an' de honey. Mo' dan ten thousand fo'ks can eat. W'en de Marster gits back to Virginia, him tells all de white fo'ks 'bout de grass tall as de cow's back, an' 'bout de fruit, berries, an' honey. De Marster tooks his fam'ly, all his stock, an' all his slaves, an' goes to de West, whar de blue grass am tall as de cow's back. Lots ob tudder fo'ks does de same, an' dat's how come people come to Tennessee. Dere, weuns always have good eats, an' de cattle am always fat. Deys am in de blue grass, tall as de cow's back. De cullud fo'ks 'joyed demse'ves on my Marster's place. Him 'lows de pahties, sing, an' have de music. Yas Sar, I's will says de words ob one ob de songs fo' yous. Here 'tis, W'en de clouds hang heavy an' it looks lak rain, Oh Lawd how long will de sun draw wautah f'om ev-e-ry vein, Oh Lawd, how long? "'Bout dis time a tudder yeah, I's may be in some lonely grave, Oh Lawd, how long De kind ob dances am quadrilles, an' jigs. Co'se, I's too small to tooks paht in sich, but 'twas fun watchin' de old fo'ks. Weuns have de chu'ch on Sunday mo'nin'. 'Twas a white preachahman dat often come to tells us 'bout Christ, an' sich. Tudder times, 'twas an old cullud slave dat do de talkin'. De biggest doin's 'roun' dere was on de Marster's place w'en his daughter, Puss , gitss mai'ied to Marster Steve Flake . 'Twas a powe'ful big weddin'. De cullud fo'ks cel'brate in de yahd ob de cullud qua'tahs. De Marster have de pie, an' de cake fo' weuns, an' weuns have de big time, too. Ever'body am happy, 'cause allus lak Puss, an' weuns am glad fo' her, but it don't last long fo' her. She gits some kind ob stomach misery, an' died. I's stayed wid my fo'ks 'til I's 19 yeahs old, an' den I's come to Texas. I's goes to Austin County. Dere am whar I's meets Bill Homer , an' weuns gits mai'ied. It am now, 62 yeahs ago dat weuns am mai'ied, an' both am able to stand each tudder all dat time. Weuns have raised 15 chilluns, an' always gits 'long good 'til a few yeahs ago. Weuns took good care ob de younguns, 'cause deys all livin', an' right heah in Fort Worth. See dem younguns 'roun' heah? Dem am my gran'chilluns, an' I's have de 'joyment wid dem jus' lake deys am mine. 'Tis always dat some ob dem am 'roun'. Yous see, dere am 'bout 50 gran'chilluns, dat come to see me. Deys am f'om de infant to de old fo'ks. Deys all laks de grannie. Deys mammies says I's spoil dem. Well, dat am de mostest ob de good times I's have now. Playin' wid de gran'chilluns.

Now 'bout de Patterrollers, an' de Ku Klux Klan, 'taint much dat I's know. Co'se, I's heah de old fo'ks talk 'bout dem, but I's too young w'en deys am 'roun', fo' to git mixed up wid dem. Gosh amighty! Dem fellows sho have de cullud fo'ks skeert. My husband an' I's lived on de fahm. Weuns 'tend to our wo'k dere, an' weuns have no time fo' fustin' 'roun' whar weuns have no truck. Yas Sar, weuns am too busy wid de chilluns an' de fahm. Does I's think de cullud fo'ks should vote? I's never think 'bout sich. I's never wants to vote. Dat am fo' de mens to worry 'bout. I's have 'nough trouble gittin' long now, widout de worryment wid votin'. Yous see, I's gits $14.00 pension f'om de State ever' month, an' Bill gits de same. Dat gives weuns 'nough business to worry 'bout, an' weuns have to git by on it. Dat makes weuns skimp, an' live on beans, an' co'n meal. Sometimes w'en weuns am sattin' heah, an' thinkin' 'bout de old days, I's think back yondah 'bout old Tennessee, 'bout whar de blue grass grows tall as de cow's back, an' dere am fruit, berries, an' honey, mo' dan ten thousand fo'ks can eat. M'ybe if I's stayed dere, I's could be eatin' honey right now, 'stead ob beans, an' co'n meal, but I's fetched to Texas, an' heah I's be, an' will eat de beans 'til I's called fo' de Jubilee.